Construction on the Centennial water park in Westsyde should be complete for the August long weekend.
(DANA REYNOLDS / iNFOnews.ca)
July 15, 2015 - 8:00 PM
KAMLOOPS – If all goes to plan, kids in Westsyde could be splashing around in their very own water park within the next two and a half weeks.
“I’m sure kids are waiting with baited breath!” Diane Kuchma says, past president of the Westsyde Community Development Society.
Currently under construction in Centennial Park, Parks Supervisor Mike Doll says the city is hoping to have the water park open by August long weekend. The last step before open is obtaining an operating permit from Interior Health.
This water park comes after at least four years of planning and lobbying the city, says Kuchma. The cost of the park is $370,000, but the city would not commit to funding, even partial funding, until the society demonstrated its commitment.
Kuchma says the society raised enough money, with donations from the community including Cooper’s Foods in Westsyde, to construct washrooms and change facilities at the park. Soon after a partnership was forged, with the city agreeing to fund the actual construction of the water park.
“(Centennial water park is a) much smaller footprint than McGowan Park but with a similar amount of toys and much bigger than McDonald Park,” Doll says in describing the scale of the new water park.
Kuchma adds, in a time of water restrictions, the park uses a low volume of water and recycles and filters what it does use.
She says it’s possible all landscaping will not be done by the August long weekend. The park will open regardless, but the grand opening celebration might be put off until September or even June of 2016.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Dana Reynolds at dreynolds@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015